April 29, 2008
Katherine Trinidad
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-3749
katherine.trinidad@nasa.gov
Candrea Thomas
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
321-867-2468
candrea.k.thomas@nasa.gov
MEDIA ADVISORY: M08-084
NASA'S SPACE SHUTTLE DISCOVERY TO MOVE TO LAUNCH PAD SATURDAY
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Discovery is scheduled to roll
out to Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla., on
Saturday, May 3, as preparations for the STS-124 mission move
forward. Discovery is targeted to lift off May 31 on a 13-day mission
to the International Space Station.
The first motion of the shuttle out of Kennedy's Vehicle Assembly
Building is scheduled for 12:01 a.m. EDT. The space shuttle vehicle,
consisting of the orbiter, external tank and twin solid rocket
boosters, was fully assembled on the mobile launcher platform and
will be delivered to the pad atop a crawler transporter. The crawler
slowly moves the shuttle out to the pad at less than 1 mph during its
3.4-mile journey. The process is expected to take approximately six
hours.
NASA Television will provide live coverage of Discovery's rollout to
the launch pad starting at 6:30 a.m. Video highlights of the rollout
will air on NASA TV Video File.
Media are invited to photograph the shuttle's move to the pad and
interview Discovery Flow Director Stephanie Stilson at 8 a.m.
Saturday. Dates and times of this event are subject to change.
Updates are available by calling 321-867-2525.
Media must arrive at Kennedy's news center by 6 a.m. Saturday for
transportation to the viewing area. Foreign news media accreditation
for this event has closed. Foreign media with credentials must arrive
at the Pass and I-D Building on State Road 3 by 6 a.m. for
transportation to the news center. U.S. media without permanent
Kennedy Space Center credentials must apply for accreditation online
by 4 p.m. Wednesday, April 30, at:
https://media.ksc.nasa.gov
Badges must be picked up by 4 p.m. Friday, May 2, at the Pass and I-D
Building on State Road 405.
The mission will deliver the Kibo laboratory's large Japanese
Pressurized Module, or JPM, and its remote manipulator system to the
International Space Station. Three spacewalks will be conducted
during the flight.
Discovery will be commanded by Mark Kelly. Ken Ham will be the pilot.
The mission specialists are Karen Nyberg, Ron Garan, Mike Fossum,
Greg Chamitoff and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut
Akihiko Hoshide. Chamitoff will remain on the station as a resident
crew member, replacing station Flight Engineer Garrett Reisman, who
will return home on Discovery.
For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming
video, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/ntv
For more information about the STS-124 mission and crew, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle
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